Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2009-10: Kreider has developed very well in his first season of NCAA play, and as a member of the gold medal-winning 2010 U-20 US World Junior Championship team.

2010-11: Kreider appeared in 32 of 39 games for Boston College as a sophomore – missing time late in the season after suffering a broken jaw. He also represented the United States in two tournaments – the 2011 World Junior U-20 championships and the 2011 IIHF World Championship. Kreider scored 11 goals with 13 assists with an even plus/minus and 37 PMs. He was named MVP of the Beanpot Tournament for the Hockey East-champion Eagles. In seven games for the third-place USA squad at the WJC tournament Kreider scored 6 goals with 1 assist and was +6 with 2 PMs. Three of his six goals were scored on the power play. In six games with the eighth-place US men's squad in Slovakia he scored 1 goal with 1 assist and was +3.

2011-12: Kreider joined the Rangers in the NHL playoffs following his senior season at Boston College and gave New York an offensive boost during the run to the Eastern Conference finals. He joined the Rangers in Game 3 of their first round series with Ottawa and scored 5 goals with 2 assists in 18 playoff games; finishing minus-four with 6 penalty minutes. Kreider was the leading scorer for Boston College in his final season – scoring 23 goals with 22 assists in 44 games and leading the Eagles in penalty minutes (66). Boston College won the Hockey East regular season and playoff titles en route to its second NCAA Frozen Four championship in three years.

2012-13: Kreider split time between the Rangers and their AHL affiliate Connecticut in his first pro season. Hampered by an ankle injury and limited to just over ten minutes of ice time per game, he scored 2 goals with 1 assist in 23 games with New York and was -1 with 6 penalty minutes. A playoff hero for the Rangers during their run to the Eastern Conference finals a year ago, Kreider did not enjoy the same success. He appeared in 8 of 12 playoff games, scoring 1 goal with 1 assist, and was an even plus/minus. Kreider played 48 AHL games for the Whale, scoring 12 goals with 11 assists and finishing -11 with 73 penalty minutes. Connecticut missed the AHL playoffs by two points despite finishing second in the Northeast Division.

2012-13: Kreider split time between the Rangers and their AHL affiliate Connecticut in his first pro season. Hampered by an ankle injury and limited to just over ten minutes of ice time per game, he scored 2 goals with 1 assist in 23 games with New York and was -1 with 6 penalty minutes. A playoff hero for the Rangers during their run to the Eastern Conference finals a year ago, Kreider did not enjoy the same success. He appeared in 8 of 12 playoff games, scoring 1 goal with 1 assist, and was an even plus/minus. Kreider played 48 AHL games for the Whale, scoring 12 goals with 11 assists and finishing -11 with 73 penalty minutes. Connecticut missed the AHL playoffs by two points despite finishing second in the Northeast Division.

Talent Analysis

A prototypical power forward, Kreider has shown speed and an ability to find the net.

Future

Photo: San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl turned in another solid month in November to earn the top spot in HF’s ranking of the top NHL rookies (courtesy of Rocky Widner/Getty Image)

The Hockey's Future Calder Trophy poll for November reflected the depth of the 2013-14 rookie class as 22 players received votes from members of the staff. This month's Top 10 was impacted by several early season call-ups who have emerged while a handful of players who opened the season with a bang but then cooled off are no longer in this month's Top 10 (actually eleven since there was a tie for the 10th spot).

Photo: Dylan McIlrath has gradually developed into a dependable and physical defensive defenseman. The New York Rangers selected McIlrath 10th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. (courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

It seems like a distant memory now, but just six or seven years ago, the New York Rangers had few homegrown players on their NHL roster. Big name free agents were the norm for this original six team, with few of the team's prospects ever appearing in more than one or two games on Broadway.

Photo: Blueliner Calle Andersson is one of the only true offensive defensemen in the Rangers system. Andersson was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL Draft. (courtesy of Derek Leung/Getty Images)

Of the 30 prospects in the New York Rangers' system, 19 are professional hockey players as of the beginning of the 2013-14 season. With only five prospects selected by New York in the 2013 NHL Draft and four in 2012, there are fewer younger players in the system than there have been in many years.

The Fall edition of the Hockey's Future ranking of the Top 50 NHL prospects begins with the prospects ranked 41-50. The lockout-shortened 2012-13 season left a talented pool of eligible prospects, evident already in the bottom group of players.

Photo: Forward Oscar Lindberg is expected to make his NHL debut in 2013-14. Lindberg was acquired in a trade with Phoenix in 2011. (courtesy of Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images)

The upper portion of the New York Rangers Top 20 has not changed for several cycles. Chris Kreider remains the premier player among a very talented group, while Danny Kristo, obtained in a July 2013 trade with Montreal, now occupies the number two position.